Self-draining joint for silo-staves.



J. B. STRUNK.

SELF DRAINING 101m FOR SILO STAVES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25,1918.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918 514 me n foz 5/Z774Z% 5141mm M 4 In: IDIII, nrnrsm. mmuma. vusnm 10M 1: c

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SELF-DRAINING JOINT FOB, SILO-STAVES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

Application filed March 25, 1918. SeriaI No. 224,657.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr B. STRUNK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mill Hall, in the county of Clinton and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSelf-Draining Joints for Silo-Staves; and I do declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention has for its object to provide a self-draining joint forsilo staves which is so constructed as to prevent any possibility ofsplitting one of the staves when driving it against another to form thejoint between the two; and with this general object in view, theinvention resides in the specific construction of the oint as hereindescribed and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a silo show ing the manner in which thejoints between the staves are preferably located;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section showing one of the improvedjoints;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the co-acting ends of two staves injuxtaposition; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the spline used between the staves.

In the construction of silos, since staves cannot be obtained ofsufiicient length to run from top to bottom, it is necessary to splicethese staves and the joints are preferably arranged substantially asshown in Fig. 1, so that no two adjacent joints are in line. Experiencehas taught that the most practical joint between the lower stavesections 1 and the upper sections 2, must include a pointed upper end onthe former and a channel in the lower end of the latter for receivingsaid pointed end. This form of construction has proven more or lesseiiicient, but it has been found that splitting of the lower ends of thestaves often takes place when they are driven one toward the other. Myinvention there fore aims to overcome this difliculty by the provisionof an abutment or shoulder in the channel of the upper section to coactwith a squared-0E part of the lower section to limit the driving of onetoward the other. Specifically described, the improved joint isconstructed as follows:

The upper end of the lower section 1 is provided with a kerf 3 aliningwith a similar kerf 4 in the lower end of the upper section 2, bothkerfs opening through the edges of the stave and receiving the usualmetal spline 5. At 6, the upper end of the section 1 is beveled from itsopposite sides to the spline 5 to provide a pointed end 7 and said endis squared oil to one side of the spline to provide a comparatively widefiat surface 8 at right angles to the length of the stave. The lower endof the upper section 2 is formed with a V-shaped channel 9 openingthrough its edges and receiving the pointed end 7 of the section 1, saidchannel having the kerf 4 at its vertex and having on one of itsconverging-walls a shoulder 10 which abuts the squared-off end 8 andthus so limits the driving of one stave section toward the other as toprevent any possibility of splitting.

The staves are tongued and grooved on their edges in the usual mannerand in applying them, the contacting surfaces of the several staves arecoated with paint or white lead in the usual manner. Thus the improvedjoint is equally as efficient as the old joint for excluding moisturefrom either the interior or exterior of the silo, yet is of greateradvantage due to the provision of the shoulder 10 and squared end 8.Since excellent results are obtained from the exact arrangement shownand described, this arrangement is preferably employed, but Ininorchanges which do not affect the spirit of the invention may well beresorted to.

I claim:

In combination, a pair of silo staves abutting at their ends and eachhaving a kerf opening through. its end and through its edges, a metalspline in said kerfs, the end of one stave being beveled from itsopposite sides to said spline to form a pointed end, said end beingsquared off at one side of said spline, the end of the other stavehaving a V- shaped channel opening through the edges In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set of said stave and having the kerf of said myhand in the presence of tWo subscribing stave at its vertex, saidchannel snugly receiving said pointed end of said first de- Witnesses.scribed staveand haying on one o fit co n- JOSEPH B. STRU N K verging;sides. a flat shou der abutting aid Witnesses:

ELMER LEOLING,

squared ofi end to limit the driving of one W. A. KISSINGER.

stave toward the other.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by;addressing the, Commissioner of Patents.

Washington; D: 0;"

